Description
GNU patch through 2.7.6 is vulnerable to OS shell command injection that can be exploited by opening a crafted patch file that contains an ed style diff payload with shell metacharacters. The ed editor does not need to be present on the vulnerable system. This is different from CVE-2018-1000156.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | patch | 2.7.6-5 | — |
| Debian 13 | patch | 2.7.6-5 | — |
| Debian 12 | patch | 2.7.6-5 | — |
| Debian 10 | patch | 2.7.6-3+deb10u1 | DSA-4489-1 |
| Debian 9 | patch | 2.7.5-1+deb9u2 | DSA-4489-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 8 | patch | 2.7.5-1+deb8u3 | DLA-1864-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | patch | 2.7.6-2ubuntu1.1 | USN-4071-1 |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | patch | 2.7.5-1ubuntu0.16.04.2 | USN-4071-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | patch | 2.7.1-4ubuntu2.4+esm1 | USN-4071-2 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 8 | patch | 2.7.6-9.el8_0 | RHSA-2019:2798 |
| RHEL 7 | patch | 2.7.1-12.el7_7 | RHSA-2019:2964 |
Show 5 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7.6 EUS | patch | 2.7.1-11.el7_6 | RHSA-2019:3758 |
| RHEL 7.5 EUS | patch | 2.7.1-11.el7_5 | RHSA-2019:3757 |
| RHEL 7.4 TUS | patch | 2.7.1-11.el7_4 | RHSA-2019:4061 |
| RHEL 7.4 E4S | patch | 2.7.1-11.el7_4 | RHSA-2019:4061 |
| RHEL 7.4 AUS | patch | 2.7.1-11.el7_4 | RHSA-2019:4061 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.20 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
Show 13 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.19 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.18 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.17 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.16 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.15 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.14 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.13 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.12 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.11 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.10 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.9 | patch | 2.7.6-r6 | — |
| Alpine v3.8 | patch | 2.7.6-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.7 | patch | 2.7.6-r0 | — |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2 | patch | 2.7.1-12.amzn2 | ALAS2-2019-1317 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | patch | 2.7.6-9 | — |
| Azure Linux 2 (CBL-Mariner) | patch | 2.7.6-7 | — |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 8 | patch | 2.7.6-9.el8_0 | ELSA-2019-2798 |
| Oracle Linux 7 | patch | 2.7.1-12.el7_7 | ELSA-2019-2964 |
Wolfi
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfi rolling | patch | 2.7.6-r3 | — |
Advisories 13
- RHSA-2019:3758 Red Hat Security Advisory: patch security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- RHSA-2019:3757 Red Hat Security Advisory: patch security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- RHSA-2019:2964 Red Hat Security Advisory: patch security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- DSA-4489-1 patch - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-1864-1 patch - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- USN-4071-1 patch vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 10, 2026
- USN-4071-2 patch vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 10, 2026
- RHSA-2019:4061 Red Hat Security Advisory: patch security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Nov 22, 2025
- RHSA-2019:2798 Red Hat Security Advisory: patch security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Nov 22, 2025
- VDE-2025-053 Phoenix Contact: Multiple Vulnerabilities in PLCnext Firmware CERT@VDE · Jul 8, 2025
- ALAS2-2019-1317 Important: patch security update (Amazon Linux 2) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Nov 7, 2019
- ELSA-2019-2964 Important: patch security update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Oct 3, 2019
- ELSA-2019-2798 Important: patch security update (Oracle Linux 8) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Sep 19, 2019
References
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-13638
- https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/patch.git/commit/?id=3fcd042d26d70856e826a42b5f93dc4854d80bf0
- DSA-4489 vendor-advisory
- 20190730 [SECURITY] [DSA 4489-1] patch security update mailing-list
- 20190816 Details about recent GNU patch vulnerabilities mailing-list
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154124/GNU-patch-Command-Injection-Directory-Traversal.html
- GLSA-201908-22 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2019-ac709da87f vendor-advisory
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190828-0001/
- https://github.com/irsl/gnu-patch-vulnerabilities
- RHSA-2019:2798 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2019:2964 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2019:3757 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2019:3758 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2019:4061 vendor-advisory